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Cover letter, prospecting and thank you letters

Cover letters

A cover letter, also referred to as a letter of application, accompanies your resume whether you mail, email or fax your resume. Cover letters are important because they serve as a first impression of your application materials, and they reflect your writing skills.

The purpose of a cover letter is to:

Introduce your resume.

Express your personality, skills, experience and enthusiasm for the position.

Provide support for your candidacy that is not covered by your resume.

It is extremely important that you customize your cover letter for each position and employer.

General cover letter tips:

Be concise in your cover letter, keep it to one page.

Address your cover letter to a specific person. This step may take some extra work, but a cover letter that addresses a specific person by name gets their attention.

Sell yourself! Be specific about your qualifications, education and experience. Indicate why you would be a good fit for the position. Be specific and use examples.

Be sure to proofread your letter. There should be no grammar or spelling errors.

Cover letter outline:

Click the link below for information about what to include in each paragraph of the cover letter:

Cover letter examples:

Prospecting letters

A prospecting letter, also known as a letter of inquiry, accompanies your resume when you’d like to apply to a specific company and you do not know if they have any current openings. These letters are structured similarly to the application letter, but they focus on how your qualifications match the work environment rather than focusing on a specific position.

The purpose of a prospecting letter is to:

Prospect for possible vacancies within a company.

Get your resume read.

Generate an interview.

General prospecting letter tips:

Target specific individuals within the organization.

Focus on broader occupational and company information.

Suggest an action plan — indicate that you plan to follow up the letter with a phone call.

Be sure to proofread your letter. There should be no grammar or spelling errors!

If appropriate, ask for an application.

Prospecting letter example:

Thank you letters

Thank you letters are essential in the job search process. Writing a thank you letter after an interview is a must, it shows the employer your interest in the position, it expresses appreciation and it can strengthen your candidacy.

General thank you letter tips:

Plan to send out your thank you letters promptly (preferably within 24-48 hours, no later than a week) after the interview.

Use the thank you letter as an opportunity to reemphasize your strongest qualifications. Draw attention to the good fit between your qualifications and the job requirements. It is a way for you to provide the employer with more information.

Keep the thank you letter short and to the point. It should be about one page in length.

A thank you letter can be hand written, typed or emailed. Let the company culture drive how you compose your thank you letter.

Three basic parts of the thank you letter:

Express your sincere appreciation. Thank the interviewer for taking the time to talk with you. Be sure to include the date the interview occurred.

Reaffirm your interest in the company/position by pointing out particular issues brought up during the interview that appeal to you. Try to personalize the letter by referring to a topic you discussed during the interview.

Close the letter with another word of appreciation, an offer to provide additional information and a statement that you look forward to hearing from them.